Maryen’s second album, ‘For Eternity’, was released in 1994. This was a stripped back affair in that Maryen provided vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards, arrangements and programming, JJ Barry provided electric, 12-string and lead acoustic guitars, while Mickey Simmonds provided the arrangement, keyboards and programming on the song “My Weakness”. Mickey was of course keyboard player with Fish at the time, and Maryen had provided backing vocals on ‘Internal Exile’ as well as touring with him. This is the companion album to 1992’s ‘The Pictures Within’ which I actually reviewed the year it was released. Back then I said, “The melodies, the lyrics, the (to my hearing) classically-trained perfectly-pitched vocals all combine to provide a musical experience not to be missed. If you only buy one female singer-songwriter album this year, then it should be this one.” So, what about the album which came only two years later?
Anyone who has read any of my reviews over the last 30+ years will know there is something I have real issues with, namely programmed drums. These days the drum sounds are somewhat better, and those using them try really hard to make them as close to the real thing as possible but listening to a drum machine from some 25 years ago really does cause me some issues. It feels like an album which in some ways is more of a demo than a full production, which does not really do justice to either the songs or the performer. There is no doubt to my mind which is the best song on the album, “Sad City”, which is stripped back to acoustic guitar, violin and those incredible voices. She tells stories, and there are times when she reminds me very much of fellow Australian Cath Mundy, and her voice, what a voice. She will always be compared to Kate Bush, with a similar range and sliding style, and it contains a breathless passion and emotion which is sadly missing in too much modern music. I just wish there was more like this, and of all the albums of hers I have heard this is probably my least favourite, but that is still a long way ahead of a great many others I could mention.
Rating: 7/10
Links:
https://maryencairns.com/
